Automatic blade clip



Dec. 16, 1947. T. J. SMULSKI AUTOMATIC BLADE CLIP Original Filed Feb. 26, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 www Zia/alum? wodareJ Snub/1 Dec. 16, 1947. T. J. SMULSKI 2,432,689

AUTOMATIC BLADE CLIP Original Filed Feb. 26, "1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 jifzaodore Jfimbirb' Patented Dec. 16, 1947 AUTOMATIC BLADE CLIP Theodore J. Smulski, Gary, Ind., asslgnor to Productive Inventions, Inc., a corporation of Indiana Continuation of application Serial No. 432,377,

filed February 26, 1942. This application filed April 12, 1944, Serial No. 530,628

21 Claims;

My invention relates to windshield wiper mountings are more particularly to a windshield wiper mounting arrangement for conveniently and securely locking in connected cooperative relationship a windshield wiper arm and a windshield wiper blade.

A windshield wiper assembly comprises a motor which generally is mounted within the body of the vehicle, and a wiper blade actuating means which is provided with an actuating shaft extending to the exterior of the vehicle in proximity to a windshield. On the oscillating actuating shaft there is mounted a blade carrying arm which is provided at the free end thereof with a Windshield wiper blade. Since wear and deterioration of the elements reduce the efficiency of the Wiping element of the wiper blade, Wiper blades are replaced, and hence, it has been customary in the past to provide some form of mounting between the free end of the wiper arm and the frame of the windshield wiper blade so as to permit ready detachment of the wiper blade. In the past, particularly in the case of automobiles, it has been customary to provide some form of connection which corresponds generally to a hook and eye arrangement.

While such hook and eye arrangements provide the desired convenience of replacement of the wiper blade they all have two disadvantages. When the vehicle is traveling at high speeds the air flow against the windshield sometimes lifts the arm and blade off the glass sufliciently to permit the blade to be blown off the arm and lost. Another disadvantage is that as an incident of the lifting of the arm and blade to permit hand cleaning of the windshield, as at service stations, the blade frequently falls off the hook causinginconvenience and sometimes loss, and often marring the finish of the car as it strikes it, not to mention the damage to the blade which is likely to result from such a fall. The wiper arm usually carries a spring which subjects the back of the blade to pressure to keep it in contact with the glass. Due to the relatively low power obtainable from Windshield wiper motors there is rather a definite limit to the amount of pressure that can be applied without stalling the motor. These pressure limits are not sufficiently high to prevent air flow from lifting the blade ofi the glass under all conditions. The advent of air-flow design in automobiles involving sloping Windows increased this tendency of the arms to lift and permit the blade to be disconnected and to be blown off the arm.

In the operation of aircraftthe air flow of course is much more intense and while the somewhat more powerful windshield wiper motors used on aircraft permit relatively greater spring pressure applied to the blade there is a limit to the amount of pressure that can be practicably applied; and there exists also in aircraft even a more critical problem of preventing the blade from blowing off the arm. This problem is more critical because, particularly in aircraft employed in war, the loss of a wiper blade in flight may bring serious consequences both from reduced vision and from the danger of the blade striking the propellers and thus causing sufflcient damage to completely disable the craft.

So it appears that both in vehicles for land travel and in aircraft there exists a need for a wiper blade and arm assembly which will first securely lock the blade to the arm and which will next provide that hinged relationship between the arm and blade necessary to permit the blade throughout its length to conform to the windshield.

A third problem is introduced involving the human element. Wiper blades wear out or deteriorate from other causes and must be replaced much more frequently than wiper arms. The hook and eye arrangement involves no particular skill or caution on the part of the operator making the replacement. However, with a locking assembly of the blade with the arm the blade must be manually unlocked from the arm for replacement of the blade and then. .what is criticallyimportant, the replacement blade must be setherefore becomes important that a locking assembly be provided which can be operated conveniently with one hand and without the use of any tools.

It is therefore a purpose of my invention to provide a blade and arm assembly which requires a minimum of skill for unlocking the blade from the arm and which requires absolutely no skill or attention to lock the replacement blade to the arm and which performs its own locking function automatically and without fail upon placing the arm and the replacement blade in operative relationship.

It is an object of my invention to provide a The present application is a continuation of my application Serial No. 432,377, filed February 26, 1942 for Automatic blade clip, the subject matter of the earlier application having been transferred to the present application. Other types or forms of connectors or clips are disclosed and claimed in my copending applications Serial No. 492,252 filed June 25, 1943, for Windshield wiper arm and blade connectors; Serial No. 523,- 445 filed February 22, 1944 for Windshield wiper blade connectors; Serial No. 662,862 filed April 17, 1946 for Means for connecting a windshield wiper unit to an arm unitland in an application of John W. Anderson, Serial No. 673.098 filed May 29, 1946 for'Connection means between operating and operated units, owned by my assignee.

Other and further objects of my invention will become more readily apparent by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view showing a portion of the wiper arm, a portion of th wiper blade, and the wiper mounting interconnecting the blade and arm;

Figure 2 is an end View of the assembly shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 shows the locking apparatus arranged preparatory to engagement with the engaging member;

Figure 4 is a top view in partial cross-section of the assembly shown in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an end view of a portion of the locking frame and movable locking member shown in Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the spring actuated movable locking member or bolt;

Figure '7 is a perspective view of the locking member;

Figure 8 is a blade and arm assembly embodying a modification of my invention;

Figure 9 is a View of the modification of Figure 8 in a position preparatory to engagement with an engaging member;

Figure 10 is a top view in partial cross-section of the arrangement shown in Figure 8; and

Figure 11 is an end view of Figure 8.

The present invention is particularly suited to fulfill the exacting requirements of the wiper mounting on aircraft, and hence, the invention has been shown arranged particularly for such installation, although upon reading the following description it will become apparent to those skilled in the art that the locking apparatus may be connected to the arm and the engaging member may be connected to the frame of the blade.

Referring to Figures 1 to '7, and more particularly to Figures 1 and 2 it will be seen that there is provided at the free end of a wiper arm 21 a connector member 22 having a base 23 secured to the free end of the arm by any suitable fastening means such as a rivet 24 in order to prevent rotation of the base 23. With respect to the arm 2| there is provided at one extremity a lug 25 which is inserted into an opening 26 in the arm 2|. The base 23 of the connector member 22 supports a plurality of spaced apart depending members 27 which are adapted to engage the sides of a frame of the locking member which in the present showing is mounted upon the frame of the wiper blade. At an intermediate point on the depending portions 21 there is provided a transversely positioned cross connector member 28 which may be formed by bending inwardly into the channel like portion of the depending members 2'! two small lugs, The lugs form a member for insertion into, and hinged engagement with a locking member which is mounted on the frame of the wiper blade.

Referring more particularly to Figures 1 to 4 it will be seen that a wiper blade having a fiexible wiper element 29 and a frame 3| is provided with a lockingapparatus 32 secured to the frame 3! by a suitable fastening means such as a bolt or rivet 33. The locking apparatus 32 comprises a frame having a top 34, depending ends 35 and 36, and depending sides 31 and 38 which sides embrace the blade frame 3!. The top 33 and the depending sides 3'! and 38 are provided with a transverse entrancewa or slot 39 which is adapted to receive the transverse member 28 of the engaging member ZZ. In the space between the top of the blade frame 3| and the top of the locking apparatus frame there is positioned a spring actuated latch or movable membe which in the position shown in Fi ure vent disengagement of the wiper blade Wiper arm since its normal position to the transverse entranceway 39. The boilor able member M which is shown in perspec Figure 6 is part of a member having tw side portions 42 and 43 which terminate portions 44 and 45. The movable member 5% is at right angles to the connecting portion 3% whiCh extends transversel between the side portions 42 and 43. The side portions 42 and 53 adjacent the handle portions 44 and 45 are of lesser dimensions so that these portions may slide through suitable openings in the end 35 of the frame of the fastening or looking apparatus. The degree of movement of the side members 62 and 33 therefore will be limited by the engagement of the step portions 41 and 48 of the side members against the end 35 of the locking apparatus frame. Adjacent the other ends of the side members 42 and 43 in the proximity of the transverse portion 46 and the movable member or bolt 3? there are provided notches 49 and 5! which 2 a adapted to receive the ears 52 and 53 of a catch member shown in perspective in Figure 7.

The catch member shown in Figure 7 comprises a base 54 having an upstanding end portion 55 on which are the ears 52 and 53, At the other extremity of the base 54 there are provided two upstandin members 56 and 51 which in the position shown in Figure 1 extend to the exterior of the end 36 of the locking apparatus frame. The extremities of the upstanding portions 55 and 5'! are reduced in dimension so as to form the shou ders 58 and 59 Whichin the position shown in Figure 3 engage a portion of the end 36 of the locking apparatus frame which is also shown in Figure 5. The catch member shown in perspective in Figure 7 has its upstanding portion 55 pcsitioned adjacent the cross member 46 of the movable bolt assembly so that the ears 52 and 53 are positioned within the notches 49 and 5|. A suitable spring 6| is positioned between end wall 3! oi the frame of the locking apparatus and the upstanding end 65 or the catch. The upstanding end 55 may be provided with aprojection 62 so as to position this spring 6| thereby causing it to apply the proper force against the end member 55 of the catch and the transverse member 46 of the movable locking member or bolt 4 i.

In order to detach the blade from the arm 2| the handle portions 48 and 45 are grasped and withdrawn to the position shown in Figure 3. The movable locking member or bolt 4| is withdrawn from its position across the transverse entranceway or recess 39 thereby permitting the transverse member 28 of the engaging assembly 22 to be withdrawn from the locking apparatus. When the bolt 4| is withdrawn to the position shown in Figure 3, the angle of the transverse member 56 and the end portion 55 is such as to raise the base 54 of the catch across the bottom of the transverse entranceway 39. At the same time the shoulders 58 and 58 of the catch engage the upper portion of the end wall 36 of the frame 32 thereby retaining the latch bolt 4| in retracted position. The position of the elements shown in Figure 3 is the position which must be obtained before the blade can be attached to the locking assembly on the wiper arm 2| As soon as the transverse member 28 of the locking assembly 22 engages the raised base portion 54 of the catch which is in the position shown in Figure 3, the base portion 54 will be moved'inwardly thereby lowering the shoulder portions 58 and 58 of the upstanding members.56 and 51 sufficiently so that these latter members may be urged to the exterior of the end wall 36 of the locking apparatus. When this occurs the bolt 4| is moved into the space between the transverse member 28 and the base-23 of the assembly 22 thereby positively latching the two assemblies together to prevent any accidental disengagement of the wiper blade from the wiper arm,

In a modification of my invention illustrated in Figures 9 to 11 and more particularly in Figure 8 there is shown a windshield wiper arm 63 having at the free end thereof a blade attachment member 64 pivotally mounted by means of a rivet 65. This blade attachment means may be of the type which can be angularly positioned to one side or the other with respect to the arm thereby to permit the wiper blade to be aligned with the frame of the windshield when the arm 63 is in the parked position. An attachment of this type is described and claimed-in an applica tion for United States Letters Patent by John W. Anderson, Serial No. 282,008, filed June 30, 1939 for a Windshield wiper arm. which has been matured into Patent No. 2,290,140 dated July 14, 1942. In wiper arm assemblies of the parallelogram type, the base of the blade attaching member 64 may be attached to or may be an integral part of one ,of the arms of the parallelogram arrangement which operates to hold the wiper blade throughout its operating travel in a pre-' bolt extending from one of the depending sides to the other depending side. The transverse member 6'! thereby forms an engaging member for cooperation with a locking apparatus which is attached to the frame of a windshield wiper blade.

Figures 8, 9 and 10 show a windshield wiper blade for a wiping element 68 supported within a frame 68. The frame 69 has secured thereto by means of a rivet or bolt ii a locking apparatus 12, The locking apparatus 12 comprises a frame having a base or top 13 from which there are depending end members 14 and 75, and depending side members T6 and 11. The frame of the locking apparatus i2 is provided with a transverse entranceway or slot 18 into which the engaging member fil -may be inserted. A U-shaped member having a portion 19 serving as a movable locking member or latch bolt and a parallel portion 8| serving as a catch release is arranged for reciprocal movement across the entranceway or recess 18. The bolt 19 and the catch release portion 8| may be formed from an integral piece of metal which has a connecting portion 82, A pair of elongated strips 83 and 84 extend from the cross piece 82 to a pair of handle portions 85 and 86. Adjacent the lower portions of the handles 85 and 86 there is provided a pair of lugs 81 and 88 which in the position shown in Figure 9 engage a rearwardly extendingportion connected between the side portions 16 and 11 thereby to hold the bolt 19 in retracted position. The one end wall 15 is preferably of such configuration as to provide a seat for a spring 89 positioned between the end wall 15 and the back of the cross piece 82 which interconnects the latch bolt 19 and the catch release 8|.

In order to remove the wiper blade from the arm 63 shown in Figure 8 the handle 4| formed of the handle portions 85 and 86 is grasped and moved to the dotted line position shown in Figure 8. At this position the bolt 19 is retracted suihciently to permit the blade to be disengaged from the arm by withdrawing the engaging member 61 from the slot 18. When the handles 85 and 8B are moved to the dotted line position shown in Figure 8 they may be moved downwardly so thatthe catch members 81 and 88 will engage the transverse member which interconnects the side portions 16 and l! of the frame 12 thereby holding the bolt 19 in retracted position. Due to the angular relation between the bolt 19 and the handles and 86, the bolt 19 will assume the position shown in Figure 9 when the ca ch members 81 and 88 restrain the movable locking member or bolt 79 in retracted position, It furthermore will become apparent that the catch release portion 8| has been raised to an intermediate position in the transverse entranceway or slot 78. Therefore whenever an engaging member such as the transverse bolt or rivet 61 shown in Figure 8 or the transverse member 28 shown in Figure 1 is inserted in the entranceway 18 so as to engage the catch release 8|, the pressure of the arm and engaging member will tip thelongitudinal members 83 and 84 interconnecting. the catch release 8| with the catch portions "8'! and 88 so that these latter catch portions no longer engage the transverse portion 88 thereby permitting the spring 88 to move the movable locking member 19 across the entranceway 18 to latch together the locking member I2 and the paratus. It furthermore will be obvious, particularly for use on automobiles, it may be satisfactory to provide the free end of the wiper arm with the locking member, and the blade frame with the engaging member thereby materially reducing the cost of manufacture of replacement blades.

While I have shown and described my invention s embodied in certain specific assemblies, it is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto since the principles involved are susceptible of other embodiments, and modifications maybe made in the instrumentalities employed' without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a windshield wiper arm and blade assembly, in combination, windshield wiper arm element and a windshield wiper blade element adapted to be operably positioned between the free end of said arm element and the windshield, one of said elements being provided with a transverse engaging member adapted to hingedly engage locking apparatus carried by said other element, said locking apparatus including a receiving member having two substantially parallel sides recessed to provide an opening for receiving said engaging member, a movable member adapted to position a portion thereof to block the opening to prevent the removal of said engaging member 'from said opening, a spring adapted to resist the displacement of said movable member from such position, and a means for moving said movable member and said portion thereof away from said opening to permit the removal from said opening of said engaging member.

2. In a windshield wiper arm and blade assembly, in combination, a windshield wiper arm and a windshield wiper blade, said arm carrying adjacent its free end an entering member adapted to be hingedly engaged by apparatus carried by said blade, said apparatus including a substantially channel-shaped clip member attached to said blade, said clip member being recessed to receive said entering member carried by said arm, a movable member normally carried by said clip and adapted to assume alternately a locking position and an unlocking osition, said movable member having a portion adapted when in locking position to block the open side of said recess to retain said entering member of said arm within said recess, spring means within said clip adapted to move said movable member from unlocking position to locking position, and handle means for moving said movable member from looking to unlocking osition.

3. A wiper blade connector apparatus for connecting the wiper arm and wiper blade members of a windshield wiper to one another, said connector apparatus adapted to be affixed to one of said members and to cooperate with a cross connector aflixed to the other of said members for automatically efiecting a qu ckly separable but normally positively maintained connection of the blade and arm members and comprising, in combination, a body member having a notch for receiving said cross connector, a, locking member carried by the body member for movement transversely of the notch between a locking position in which it projects across the notch entrance and positively blocks the notch entrance and an 1111- locking position in which it stands clear of the notch, a spring for resiliently urging the locking member to locking position, detaining means cooperative with the body member to hold the locktomatic positive attachment to a wiper arm which includes a cross connector, comprising the combination with a wiper blade frame, of a clip affixed thereto and provided with a notch for receiving said cross connector, a locking member carried by the clip for movement transversely of the notch between a locking position in which it projects across the notch entrance and an unlocking position in which it stands clear of the I notch, a trigger member rockingly connected with the locking member, a spring engaging the trigger member and urging it in a direction to move the locking member to locking position, said trigger member and clip having cooperative parts for detaining the trigger member in a cooked condition, a cocking handle for operating the locking member from locking to unlocking position against the force of said spring and for concomitantly shifting and rocking the trigger member to its cocked condition as an incident of such operation to detain the locking member in unlocking position, the trigger member including a tripping portion which extends across the inner portion of the notch when in cocked condition in position to be engaged and rocked by the cross connector to trip the trigger member when the cross connector is inserted in the notch and pressed against said tripping portion.

5. In a windshield wiper including wiper arm and wiper blade members, the novel apparatus for automatically efiecting a quickly separable but normally positively maintained connection of the blade and arm comprising, in combination, a cross connector secured to one of said members, a connector secured to the other of said members provided with a transverse recess adapted to receive the cross connector, a locking member carried by the recessed connector for movement transversely of the recess between a locking position in which it extends across the recess and positively blocks the entrance thereof to prevent withdrawal of the cross connector from the recess, and an unlocking position in which it stands clear of the recess to free the cross connector, a spring urging the locking member toward locking posi tion, and a, handle for operating the locking member from locking to unlocking position to free the cross connector.

6. In a windshield wiper arm and blade component assembly, a male connecting member attached to one of said components, a, female connecting member rigidly attached to the other of said components, the female connecting member having a notch, and the male member being constructed and arranged to engage said notch, a latch carried by the female member and having a part adapted to be moved with relation to said member into a position to block the notch to retain the male member therein.

'7. In a windshield wiper mechanism, having arm and blade component members, in combination, readily engageable and detachable mechanism for connecting said members in operative relationship, said mechanism consisting of a 9 1 female connector attached to one of said members and including a pair of parallel spaced sides each having a recess formed in it, and a male connector attached to the other of said-members and including a pair of parallel spaced sides and intervening male connecting means carried by said sides and disposed between them, said parallel depending sides of the male connector being spaced to embrace the parallel spaced sides of the female connector and to locate the male connecting means in the recesses of the latter, and detaining means carried by the female connector and movable transversely of the recesses into a position for positively opposing accidental re.- moval of said male connecting means from said recesses, said male connector means being removable from said recesses by direct manual adjustment of said detaining means.

8. In a windshield wiper arm and blade component assembly, a male connecting member forming a permanent part of one of said components and extending transversely thereof, a female connecting member rigidly, connected to and forming a permanent part of the other of said components, the female connecting member having a transverse bearing opening adapted to hingedly receive the male member for relative movement about a transverse axis, and a spring latch permanently secured to one of said components for positively preventing withdrawal. of

the male member from said bearing opening until released by said latch.

9. In a windshield wiper blade assembly, a housing connecting member forming a permanent part of said blade assembly, said housing connecting member having a recess constructed and arranged to receive a male connecting member of a wiper arm in a manner whereby the blade assembly and housing may pivot with respect to said male connecting member, a spring latch disposed in the housing member and having a part adapted to be moved with relation to said member into a normal retaining position within at least a part of the path transversed by said male member for detaining said male member against disengagement from said recess when received therein, and a. handl for manually withdrawing said part from detaining position.

10. A- clip for connecting a windshield wiper blade to operating means comprising a member provided with a pair of opposed spaced abutments, 8. locking element slidably related to said abutments, a compression spring actable when at least partly expanded to position the element to look a detachable entering part for pivotal movement between said abutments, and means whereby the element may be withdrawn and held in a normal predetermined cocked position to permit free entry of the part between said abutments.

11. In a wiper mounting, the combination of a wiper arm element, a wiper blade element, and means for locking said elements together in hinged cooperative relation, said means comprising an apparatus attached to one of said elements and a cooperating male pivot member attached to the other of said elements and adapted to be engaged by said apparatus, said apparatus comprising a frame having a recessed entranceway for receiving said male pivot member, a springbiased locking member mounted upon said frame for cooperation with said entranceway, means for moving said locking member to unlocking position, and means for retaining said locking member in unlocking position, said locking member being responsive to the introduction of said male pivot member in said entranceway for moving said locking member to locking position, said locking member having a portion adapted to engage said male pivot member to lock said member within said entranceway.

12. In a windshield wiper assembly, the combination comprising a wiper arm element, a wiper blade element, and means for locking said elements together in hinged cooperative relationship, said means comprising an apparatus attached to one of said elements and a cooperating male pivot member attached to the other of said elements and adapted to be engaged by said apparatus, said apparatus comprising a channel frame member having in each side thereof a recessed entranceway for receiving said male pivot member, a spring-actuated locking member mounted upon said frame so that in looking position a portion thereof is positioned to block the opening of said entranceway, means for moving said locking member to unlocking position, means for retaining said locking member in unlocking position, said locking member being supported by said frame so as to have a combined longitudinal and pivotal movement when moved from unlocking position to locking position, and means re sponsive to the insertion of said male pivot member within said entranceway for freeing said locking member from the detaining action of said retaining means to cause said locking member to be spring urged to locking position and to hold said male pivot member into locking position.

13. In a connector mechanism for use inconnecting the wiper arm and wiper blade components of a windshield wiper to one another, in combination, a U-shaped connector member permanently secured to one of the windshield wiper components referred to, said connector member including spaced side walls formed with notches for receiving a cross connector attached to the other of said windshield wiper components, and a spring latch permanently connected with said connector member, comprising a hook-like retaining member disposed within the U-shaped connector member and movable transversely of the notch between a normal retaining positionin which it obstructs the notch entrance to oppose withdrawal of the cross connector and a nonretaining position in which it substantially clears the notch entrance, and a handle constructed and arranged for withdrawing the retaining member from retaining position.

14. A mechanism for use in connecting the wiper arm and wiper blade components of a windshield wiper to one another comprising a female connector adapted to be secured to one of the components and having a notch adapted to receive a male connector adapted to be attached to the other of said components, and a spring latch comprising a part normally associated with the female connector and being movable transversely of the notch between a normal retaining position in which it obstructs the entrance of the notch to oppose withdrawal of the male connector adapted to be received therein and to a non-retaining position in which it substantially clears the entrance of the notch, and a handle constructed and arranged for withdrawing the' retaining member from retaining position.

15. A clip for connecting a windshield wiper blade to operating means comprising a member provided with an opening, and a spring pressed locking element withdrawn to a normal cocked position to permit free entry of a part to be pivotally held in said opening, said element being constructed and arranged to be released for projection with respect to the opening to lock the part in said opening when directly engaged by said part.

16. A clip for establishing a connection between a windshield wiper blade member and an operatto be carried by one member, locking means mov- I able in said channel adapted to receive a part adapted to be carried by the other member, stop means on said channel, resilient means pressing said locking means against said stop means to place the locking means in a cooked position so that the part may be freely received therein and after being received may be directed to cause the locking means to become disengaged from said stop means to uncock the locking means to entrap the part.

18. A clip for connecting a windshield wiper blade to operating means comprising a member, stop means, resilient means, a tiltable locking element, operating means connected to said element for compressing said resilient means and retracting said element to engage said stop means to place the element in a cocked position, an opening provided in said member for receiving a part in a manner whereby the part may be caused to tilt the element to disengage it from said stop means to project the element in a direction to lock the part in place.

19. Connector means for connecting a windshield wiper blade unit to an arm unit, said connector means being adapted to be attached to one of said units and constructed for the reception of an entering part on the other unit, and yieldable holding means associated with said connector means and provided with means for receiving said entering part when it is, received in said connector means whereby to assist in holding the connector means pivotally connected to said entering part.

20. Connector means for connecting a Wind- I shield wiper blade unit to an arm unit, said connector means being adapted to be carried by a support attachable to one of said-units, said connector means including a housing having a pair of spaced apart side walls provided with recesses, and yieldable holding means arranged between said walls and constructed to receive an entering part on the other unit when such part is disposed in said recesses in a manner whereby said connector means may pivot with respect to such part.

21. Connector means for connecting a windshield wiper blade unit to an arm unit, said connector means being adapted to be attached to one of said units and constructed for the reception of a pivotal entering part adapted to be carried by the other unit, and yieldable holding means associated with said connector means and provided with means for receiving said entering part when it is received in said connector means whereby to assist in holding the connector means pivotally connected to said entering part.

THEODORE J. SMULSKI.

file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 40 1,943,652 Christen Jan. 16, 1934 2,270,589 Hansen Jan. 20, 1942. Re. 8,925 Potts Oct. '7, 1879 2,240,369 Horton Apr. 29, 1941 1,546,950 Stuart July 21, 1925 1,371,363, Gillet i Man 15, 1921 

